Face It Boys: There are No Panty Tickle Fights

LB has this hair-brained idea that whenever women get together in a group with just the ladies, they have themselves a panty tickle fight, ie. they attempt to tickle each other, sans pants (not sans panties, mind you, just pants). I’ve tried repeatedly to convince him that this doesn’t actually occur, but he’ll hear none of it, preferring instead to live happily in his ignorance, imagining such an event occurring in its half-naked splendor. At first, I assumed this was purely an LB thing. I learned quickly, however, after being introduced to several of LB’s friends and catching snippets of conversation among other men when told my girls and I were about to have a “Girl’s Nite Out,” that this (or some variation on it) is actually a somewhat widespread phenomenon. In fact, it either came from, or at least is widespread enough to have garnished its very own Seinfeld episode:

"What else did you two do?"

"Oh, you know, girly stuff."

"So, uh, flower shows, shopping for pretty bows, then back to her place, strip down to bra and panties for a tickle fight."

"That's really what you think girls do, isn't it?"

"Yes, I do."

- Jerry and Elaine, in "The Pool Guy"

Needless to say, I was shocked! Do men really believe we women run around in our panties tickling our best girl friends (braless cleavage struggling against tiny shirts, no doubt)? Oh, dear. And why am I talking about panty tickle fights on a food blog, you might ask? You see, the Ladies and I just recently returned from an overnight Girl’s Weekend Away. We headed up north to the beautiful McMinnville - right in the heart of Oregon wine country. We spent the night there at the lovely McMenamins’ Hotel Oregon. Together. In the same room. The same bed, actually, because the McMenamins only has single bed rooms. A big, king-sized bed. All three of us. To be honest, we didn’t sleep well – it’s just hard to sleep when you have two bodies in bed next to you, but we saved some money and we’re all small ladies so we fit just fine. LB, of course, was in imaginary heaven at the mere thought of all of this (all that time and proximity for panty tickle fights no doubt), and I am writing here to set him straight.

So, dear LB, let me just say that while I could possibly envision walking across a room wearing my panties and a t-shirt at some point during a weekend away with my Girls, “hanging out” like that is an entirely different story! And quite frankly my dear, the very thought of approaching my incredibly educated friends and trying to tickle them while I am not wearing any pants sounds just about like the most abnormal thing I can imagine!

Instead, here's what really occurred:

Being the fine, upstanding women that we are, my Girlfriends and I converged upon Willamette Valley wine country and got drunk off perfectly fermented grape juice instead. We gorged ourselves on lots of great vittles afterward. Then, we went shopping in the big city of Portland, just as any good women should do. So, sorry LB, instead of running around chasing each other in our panties, we were drinking, eating and shopping. And let me tell you, that was far better than any panty tickle fight you can imagine.

So here then, is where the food comes in and how I can justify flirting with a risqué post on my blog. You see, not only is this particular region of the Willamette Valley a veritable treasure trove of good wine, such notable and infamous Oregon restaurants that have pioneered local food movements in this region, notably The Painted Lady and Wildwood, are plentiful. We made our way to, count ‘em seven wineries during our trip. Thankfully, for the sake of our wallets, our figures and our wine tolerances, we learned quickly that the purchase of a single taste (usually $10) was plenty enough for three Girls to be able to have a few sips to taste the wine, talk about it and not get completely sh!t-faced by the seventh winery.

Ah, but the food. We had dinner at a lovely spot in downtown McMinnville called La Rambla, a tapas restaurant chosen because it was recommended by one of the tasting room pourers at Archery Summit Winery, which had the best Pinot Noir flight of the trip over-all. The food was delicious, especially the ham and manchego cheese croquetas with a smoked paprika sauce. The grilled artichoke hearts with lemon aoli (I full on plan on reproducing this at home! Someday when I have my pots and pans unpacked, perhaps, but still someday!) and the arugula, d'anjou pear, manchego and walnut salad with a Jerez vinaigrette (the “ensalada de arugala con peras”) were also excellent. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera on this trip, so I only have a single picture from the entire trip, borrowed from my friend...


Dinner was great, but breakfast was the real winner. When we asked the waitress at La Rambla where to eat breakfast, she didn’t even hesitate and said with a definitive nod, The Crescent Café. She quickly followed this recommendation up by saying, “they get in there at 2:00 AM to make their homemade bread and they even make their corned beef hash from scratch!!” Needless to say, I was sold, and so were my friends.

We ambled in there the next morning after a short 15 minute wait (considering that this was also a restaurant recommended in the February 2008 Gourmet magazine) and were pleasantly surprised at the cozy, homey nature of the place. There were probably 15 tables and all of the waiters and waitresses were cheery and helpful. The man that showed us our table informed us that the orange juice was freshly squeezed, that it was blood orange juice, and that it was the sweetest and most wonderful of the entire season that very day (so, we of course, ordered it, and it was true – a gorgeous ruby-colored little drink as sweet as it could be). He also said that if we liked eggs benedict, we were in luck because today the chef had decided to make it and his lemon hollandaise was absolutely fabulous (yeah, I ordered that too, and a side of house-made pork sausage). The Crescent Café sources all of their ingredients from local area farms and makes as much as possible from scratch using fresh ingredients whenever possible. All of the food was delicious, and the restaurant comes highly recommended from this food blogger.

I've listed my favorite wines from each of the wineries we visited below, should you end up in the area, wanting to have your own panty tickle figh...ahem...I mean, your own Girl’s (or otherwise) Weekend Away, in Willamette Valley wine country.

Lange Estate – 2005 Yamhill Vineyards Pinot Noir (this wine was my fave from the trip, and the view from the grounds is stunning - we had a picnic lunch, wine in hand)
Torii Mor – 2005 Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir (decent wine, but the service left much to be desired, and I'm not the only one who has noticed this)
Sokol Blosser – 2006 Rose' of Pinot Noir (beautiful grounds and friendly service abounds at this organic winery)
Archery Summit – 2005 Premier Cuvee Pinot Noir (excellent wines - almost all of them were delicious!)
Domaine Drouhin Oregon – 2004 Pinot Noir Laurene (run by the fourth generation of Drouhins - Robert Drouhin came over from France and helped begin the Pinot Noir revolution in Oregon)
Vista Hills – 2005 Treehouse Pinot Noir (cute boutique winery featuring wines made by two different winemakers from their family run vineyards)
De Ponte – 2006 Rose (small winery, features wines from one of the same winemakers as Vista Hills)

Destinations: A Weekend in Hood River, Part II

The Columbia Gorge

Eating locally (and organically, whenever possible) is important to me, and I try to get a majority of my food and culinary products from local, or at least semi-local producers. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy a French cheese on occasion or even try and resist the urge to buy an exotic spice (or two) when I come across them...but I do try. If I can make my own quince paste with local quinces to enjoy with that manchego viejo imported from Spain, substitute local hazelnuts for pecans or almonds in a recipe, or buy local chestnut honey from a chestnut farm in Hood River while I’m visiting, then I’m all for it.

While it’s a hot topic right now among various food magazines and other media, and the movement to eat within a hundred (or so) miles from your home has been championed by various food bloggers through the Eat Local Challenge (I’m always catching up on cookiecrumb’s adventures in local eating – this woman is a true champion and even made her own sea salt!), there is still a great need to support the local farmers, growers and producers in your area. Not only does the need to import food from far away places increase pollution (how do you think those apples from Chile actually get to your supermarket? via planes, trains and automobiles, my friend!), but it also takes money away from the farmers and producers in your area that are trying to make a living, and it keeps places like Walmart, who don’t support their employees and go extra lengths to make small businesses go extinct, in business (don’t even get me started).

A tractor in front of the Apple Valley Store, serving up milkshakes
made with local huckleberries

The bonus? If it’s from a local producer, you can even meet the farmer who picked that head of lettuce from their field earlier this morning, dew still dripping off the leaves; the community Mycology professor who foraged that mushroom from the forest for you because he’s been going to the same secret spots for 40 years; or the winemaker who stayed up all night to crush the grapes that went into that perfect Pinot Noir (dirt or grape stains on their hands? Even better! Think about how you look when you come in from your own garden!) Better still, you can ask them about your food – Is it organic? What kind of farming practices do you use? Are your animals allowed to roam free? For how long? After meeting them, they may even invite you out to see where your food was grown, to meet the cow whose milk graced the flakes of your favorite cereal or the chickens that produced the saffron-colored yolk of the eggs you had this morning.

But enough about that – back to Hood River. This little town is a champion for local foods. Even in Eugene, a fairly progressive and food-minded place, you still have to search for restaurants that feature mostly local foods – Marche comes to mind. But in Hood River, there was no paucity of places to indulge in the local offerings. Even the hotel, the historic Hood River Hotel, where the wedding reception took place had an entirely local wine list! The food came almost exclusively from either Washington or Oregon and even the fish and seafood that was served was sustainable. Directly across the street was Celilo, which had been my first choice for a restaurant to try there, but was unfortunately only open for dinner (the wedding, and wedding reception, took precedence of course).

A wedding guest enjoying the view of the Columbia Gorge

We ended up eating at the wonderful Sixth Street Bistro and Loft, another of my top choices. The pub served beer and wine from Washington and Oregon, and listed on the front of the menu all of the local producers that supplied any of the ingredients they used for their delicious food. They even had organic soap in the bathrooms!! Not only was the large majority of their food locally sourced, but the meal was also excellent. I had a rich, creamy artichoke bisque and a salad of local greens, local pears, Oregon blue cheese and hazelnuts, all kissed gently by a tangy hazelnut vinaigrette. LB had a chipotle burger (free-range, from Painted Hills Ranch) with house-made crispy french fries. After a glass of Erin Glen "Tantrum" Red table wine for me and an IPA from Double Mountain Brewery for LB (located just down the block from the bistro, mind you), both of us left happy and full.

The Apple Valley Country Store, a Hood River institution

Over the two days we were there, we made our way along the Fruit Loop, making a specific stop at the Apple Valley Country Store, where jellies, jams and spreads made from local fruit abound. They're really known for their apple dumplings, supposedly, which we specifically hoped to enjoy, and were one of three groups of tourists that sadly got turned away because they don't make them daily after October. Alas, we were still able to visit three additional wineries (Quenett, the actual tasting room for Hood River Vineyards, and Cathedral Ridge) and spent an hour or so browsing the very cute shops and boutiques in downtown Hood River. All of the wineries had at least a few wines that we enjoyed (and ended up taking home with us), although Cathedral Ridge has the most beautiful view of all three – looking out across the vineyards, you can see the peak of Mt. Adams in the distance.

View of Mt. Adams from Cathedral Ridge Winery

The wedding was gorgeous - the couple beaming and gushy in love with each other, the wines were fabulous, and the scenery was breathtaking...leading to a very enjoyable weekend away from Eugene. But with a National Historical Site for our hotel (and a boiler to match, but that’s another story), an incredibly cute town full of friendly locals, and a plethora of delicious local food choices available, Hood River was an unexpected and pure joy for this foodie. If you have the opportunity, definitely stop by this lovely little town for a visit.

Destinations: A Weekend in Hood River, Part I

A view of Mt. Hood, looking across an orchard in full Fall regalia

Some friends of ours were married in Hood River, Oregon this weekend. Hood River is a small town along the Columbia Gorge in Oregon, about an hour east of Portland on I-84. Although I had heard it was a great little tourist destination in Oregon, known mostly as a top destination for windsurfing gurus, I had no idea how much of a local food pioneer and wine drinking haven it was (for its size), until I started doing a little undercover research before the trip - with full intentions of dragging LB along with me during our free time over the weekend to any cool food destinations I uncovered.

My first discovery was the Hood River County Fruit Loop. This is a 35-mile loop of gorgeous farmland and mountain views that leads to several fruit stands, pear and cherry orchards, lavender farms, wineries and other fabulous Hood River secrets. We didn’t have time to do the whole Loop, but I chose several wineries and a few farms as must-see destinations along the way.

Outside the tasting room at Mt. Hood Winery

When we arrived in town, we headed to the furthest destinations from town on the Fruit Loop, intending on working our way back up during the next two days. Our first stop? Mount Hood Winery. This little winery is just off Highway 35, which allows for gorgeous views of Mt. Hood as well as Mt. Adams (if you remember to turn around!). The tasting room is small, but cute, and they have a nice little courtyard where you can enjoy a glass of wine after your complimentary tasting. It’s a small operation, and while I think they have potential, the wines there were just okay - neither LB nor I were very impressed. They did have a port and one other variety (Chardonnay, if I recall correctly) that had already sold out, so perhaps those were the gems of this little winery. Regardless, the tasting room has a gorgeous view and the woman pouring wine was talkative and pleasant.

Our second stop was supposed to be Hood River Lavender Farm, which is where the photo at the top of this post was taken. Unfortunately, we missed being able to test out their organic u-pick lavender and essential oils by a mere week – they were closed. The place itself looks very cute and will have to be a stop if we ever make it this way again. They are currently operating by appointment only, but when we called (from the road, just moments after driving by), we only got an answering machine.

A chestnut's armor against the world

The last stop along the Fruit Loop for the day was NutQuacker Farms – we lucked out and happened to be arriving the weekend of their annual Chestnut Roast. Here, we were able to taste delicious roasted and raw chestnuts, chestnut honey, and lucky for us, a free flight of the red wines from Hood River Vineyards – a stop we had planned for the following day. Raw chestnuts are crunchy and have a subtle nutty flavor...roasting them turns them into softer, richer, nuttier treats that would go perfectly with any kind of mushrooms or as an accompaniment, side dish or sauce for roasted chicken or turkey – as soon as I tasted one, I knew what my Thanksgiving stuffing is going to have in it. We also got to see what chestnuts look like on the tree – little hedgehogs!! Tight, spiny balls hold in the deep brown shell of the nut to protect it on the tree – it must be a wonderful defense against birds that want to have their own taste of this delicious tree fruit.

The wines from Hood River Vineyards definitely demonstrate the 26 years of winemaking that this family has been involved in. They have a more traditional European style than many of the wineries in Oregon and age their red wines for several years. This longer aging process, from what I understand, takes away much of the acidity, allows the fruit to balance itself and mellows the tannins in wine substantially – giving it a richer, fuller, more complex flavor than a younger wine (like those from Mt. Hood Winery). It definitely shows in their 2001 Pinot Noir (for some perspective, most wineries are currently offering a 2006 vintage), which has a completely unique flavor, very fruit-forward (means the fruit pops on your tongue as the first, and most prominent flavor in the wine), and with a long, beautifully rich finish to it. They also had a grape variety I hadn’t heard of, or tried before, called a Barbera, and surprised me by offering a Sangiovese – called Chianti when made in that particular region of Tuscany in Italy – this one was LB’s favorite. This winery also offers a few white varieties, several port-style fruit wines, two 12-year aged sherries (we ended up with the pear sherry), and even homemade hard apple cider at their tasting room near I-84, which we made our way to on Sunday.

By this time, LB and I were starving, and ready to make our way into town. We were more than pleasantly surprised at the culinary offerings available in this tiny town. But, since this post is getting long, I think I’ll fill you in on the food in my next post...stay tuned!